EGYPTIAN
ARCHAEOLOGY
The Lucy Gura Archive - progress report The Archive team at work in the EES Library the process along. The volunteers included Sam Taylor who took over as team leader in November when Nicola took up a post at Cambridge University. Gradually the old kitchen has been taken over by the grey boxes as more and more of the negatives are re-packed, and they are now waiting for the installation of a conservation-standard shelving system. Although it has taken longer than expected, and represents only the first stage in the very long journey towards rehousing all the material in the Lucy Gura Archive, we are delighted that this invaluable photographic record will soon be stored in conditions that will ensure its long term preservation. The Society has a duty to preserve this wonderful resource and it is very gratifying to know that thanks to our members and others we have been able to make such a good start towards reaching this aim. A more detailed report on this project can be found at: www.ees.ac.uk/news/index/159.html. CHRIS NAUNTON
For the last few months the new archive space in 4 Doughty Mews – the former kitchen of Ricardo Caminos – has slowly been taking shape. Thanks to the generous donations of EES members we were able in the summer of 2011 to refurbish the room which had been used for the temporary storage of archival material: two series of photographic negatives (mainly glass) taken, respectively, at Tell el-Amarna in the 1920s and 30s and at the temple of Sety I at Abydos in the 1920s, 30s and 70s. Improving the conditions for storing these negatives was identified as the top priority for the work to be undertaken with funds from the 2009-10 campaign. Once the originals had been measured and their number (approximately 2,500) estimated, a professional archivist Nicola Kiddle joined the team to recommend suitable storage materials and to begin the process of re-housing the originals. This requires great care and attention as every negative has to be carefully removed from the old boxes and envelopes, wrapped in the pHoton™ paper folders which are then labelled and placed into an acidand lignin-free card box, each of which contains no more than 30-40 negatives to ensure that the weight of the glass is well supported. Nicola made very good progress and recruited a willing band of volunteer specialists to speed
Recent events
10 December 2011. Chris Naunton welcoming members to the Study Day which was followed by the Annual General Meeting and Lecture, and a reception. Photograph: Robert Brown Joanna Kyffin during her talk at the Study Day before the AGM. Photograph: Robert Brown
The EES staff at the reception: Chris, Rob Tamplin, Patricia and Roo Mitcheson
Aidan Dodson introducing the Annual Lecture in which Patricia Spencer reviewed her 28 years as EES Director. Photograph: Robert Brown
The Society’s archive images are currently featuring in a free temporary exhibition Unearthed: Ancient Egypt at Manchester Museum (until 12 September 2012) with the exhibition entrance flanked by Bernard Grenfell and Arthur Hunt sitting outside their tent on site in the Fayum Will Schenck demonstrating epigraphic techniques during a Seminar at Doughty Mews on 24 September 2011
Roo and Chris making the presentation to Patricia (in front of the EES President Alan Lloyd). Photograph: Robert Brown
It is not possible in the limited space available in EA to give full accounts of all EES events and other news from the Society, but updates are posted on our website, www.ees.ac.uk, which we would urge readers to consult regularly for up-to-the-minute news about all EES activities, including our current fieldwork and research.
On the weekend of 22-23 October 2011 the Society again participated in the Bloomsbury Festival, held in Russell Square, where Alice Williams and Roo showed about 300 local children how to ‘excavate’ in a sand-box and how to write their names in hieroglyphs